Portable clamp lock



May 16, 1950 T. B. STUE PORTABLE CLAMP LOCK 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed March26, 1945 III/U 121F601 'T ,Stu/e May 16, 1950 T. B. STUE 2,508,302

PORTABLE CLAMP LOCK Filed March 26, 1&6 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Inn GIL-Z301 iatented May 16, 1950 UNITED STATES EMT OF FICE.

PORTABLE cLAMP' Look Tryggve Bob Stue,- Oslo; Norway Application March26, 1946; serial No. 657,126 In Sweden May 24-, 1944* 4-Claims.

The invention relates 'to -a portable: clamp lock which may be moved fiorn one place to another and be applied at the place where it isto beused; The lock: according. t the invention may, however, occasionally bemounted in a stationary position.

The lock according to theinvention is of the type which is provided withan extended" locking element, for instancein the shapeof'a barrnem b'eror a steel band, which locking element may be pushed or pulled through aguide in the lock casing. The locking element is provided with notches,holes or the like}. which cooperate with a latch member" insuch a mannerthat the locking element, when the lock is locked, can: be moved in onedirection only;

Theprimaryobject of the invention is to produce a lock which is:adaptable for use within a larger range than the known locks of the saidtype.

To this end and according toan important feature of the invention thelocking element is mounted turnably about its longitudinal axis and:provided with a plurality of closely spaced grooves, each extendingaround the circumference of the element. As aresult, it is possibleduring the locki'ng'to tiirnthe locking element into the position bestsuited for the object which is to be locked. This is espe'ciallyofimportance when the locking element at its one" end" is provided with ahoop or hook shaped portion; intended to be brought into engagementwith'o'ne of the two objects which are to be: locked" togethert The twoobjects here referred to may for instance,- consist of a stationaryobject, such as a railing, aniron hook' fastened to a house wall, acontainer or the like, while the other object may be a bicycle;achair-sled, a perambulator or the like. The objectsmay; however, alsobe two'loose objects, for instance,- a pair of skis or two wheels-ofa-carriage. Itis-further possible that the objectafterhavingbeenlocked-may be turned around; which is at timesdesirable.

The possibilities of using; the-lock may be further increased according.to another feature of the invention by providing the lock casing withtwo or more guides for two or more locking elements.

According to a further important feature of the invention, thezlockingelement is constructed in the form of achain.

The" invention comprises also -lock mechanisms which are especiallysuited for the locking elements employed according to the invention; I

lurtherfeatures'and advantages of the in ventior'i will appear from thefollowing descriptionwith reference to the drawings. These serve toillustratesome embodiments of the invention which, however, is notlimited to these special e frlbodim'eints but comprises everythingcovered by the claims.

In the drawing? Fig. 1 is a perspective View of an embodiment of a lockaccording to-the invention.

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section on the line II-II in Fig. 1.

Figs. 3 and 4 are sections on the line III --III in Fig. 2, with thelatch member in two-different positions.

Fig. 5 is'a section-toe. larger scale on the line V -V in Fig. 2.

Fig. 6 is an elevational' detail view.

Fig. 7 is a section on the line VII--VII-' in Fig. 8; oi anotherembodiment of the lock mechanism.

Fig; 8 is: a section on the line VIII--VIII in Fig. '7.

Fig. 9i's" a vertical section of another embodiment of a" look accordingto the invention;

Fig. 10 is a plan view to Fig. 9-.

Fig. 11 is atop plan detail of a plate in the lock casing; and

Fig. 12 isa top plan detail of a spring control lever in the" lockcasing.

The lock shown in Figs. 1-6 comprises a lock casing I, which in planview has approximately the shape'of an I. The-lock casing is providedWith four throiigh-going boresor guides 2; 3;. 4, 5; for extendedlocking elements. In- Fig; 1 two such: locking elements S and dareshown. The locking element 6, which isplaced in the guide 4 is at itsoneend provided with a hookshaped hoop'li intended to'be hoohed around anobject or a portion of anobject which is to be locked fast.

Thestraight portion ofthelocking. element isprovided with slots orgrooves 8; whichextend along the circumferenceand are equally spaced.

Thelockin'gmember 9 is -in a similar way provided. with: a hookshapedportion It; which at its free" end is providedwith anaxial bore' MThestraight portion ofthe locking element is in a similar way as theelemcnt-ii provided with slotsor grooves H.

The lock is further provided-with a cylinder lock mechanism. Thiscomprises-a cylinder 13 of aknown construction: which cooperates withtumblers l4. A-springiniiuencedpin l5 which engages in acircumferentialgroove in the cylinder preventsr-the'same from-beingdisplaced in anaxial direction. At the end of the cylinder there is amember I6 which is integral with or rigidly connected with the cylinder[3. The member I6 carries a laterally projecting nose II which in thelocked position of the lock engages in one of the grooves I2 on thelocking element 9 and thereby prevents any axial displacement of thelatter (see Fig. 3). I8 designates a member which is mounted turnably ina recess in the member I5 and is provided with an outwardly projectingnose I9. In the locked position of the look as shown in Fig. 3 themember I8 is held by a spring 25 in such a position that the nose I9engages with one of the grooves 8 on the looking element 5. The recessin the member I6 is, however, formed in such a manner that the member l8against the influence of the spring 20 may be turned downwards a certainangle from the position shown in Fig. 3, so that the locking element 5may be pushed downwards, but not be pulled up again.

The tumblers I4 prevent in the usual manner unintended turning of thecylinder It. By means of a key, which when inserted causes raising ofthe tumblers, the cylinder may be turned to the position shown in Fig.4. In this position none of the noses II and I9 projects into the guides4 and 5, and the locking elements 5 and 9, which are not shown in Fig.4, may in this position of the cylinder be moved freely up and down.

The operation of the lock according to the embodiment described is asfollows:

While the cylinder is in the position shown in Fig. 4, the lockingelements 5 and 9 are pulled so far apart that the hooks I and It may behooked around two parts which are to be locked together. It is here ofgreat advantage that the locking elements according to the invention arefreely turnable, so that the hoops I and It may assume the desiredangular position relative to each other best suited to the parts whichare to be locked together.

The cylinder is now turned back into locking position and the key isremoved. The locking element 9 is now prevented from axial displacementbut may still be turned freely. The locking element 5 may be pushed in(down in Figs. 1 and 3), the nose I!) thereby being forced downwardsagainst the influence of the spring 25. When the parts which are to belocked together are tightened against each other they cannot be releasedfrom each other except by means of the key belonging to the cylinderlock. The locking element 6 cannot be pulled up because the member I8cannot be swung further back than to the position shown in Fig. 3.

The different possibilities for using the lock are further to bedescribed in detail in the following.

In the embodiment shown in Figs. 1-5 there are in addition to the guides4 and 5 two other through-going guides 2 and 3. These are especiallyintended for use'in the case where instead of bar shaped lockingelements 5 and 9, locking elements in the form of link chains are to beused, as will be described hereinafter. Such a link chain may then bepassed alternately around an object which is to be locked fast and oneof the guides in the lock.

In Figs. '7 and 8 there is shown a somewhat modified embodiment of acylinder lock mechanism applied to a lock according to the invention. Inthese figures 5n designates the lock casing, 5| a through-going bore inthe same, and 52 the cylinder in a cylinder lock of otherwise ordinaryconstruction. Between the cylinder 52 and the bore 5| is located a bore53. In the latter a pin In the latter a recess 5'I is provided, intowhich the pin 56 may be pressed when the cylinder 52, from the positionshown in Fig. 7, is turned in counter-clockwise direction. When the pin55 is at the bottom of the recess all the pin 5 may be pushed backagainst the influence of the spring 55, so as to permit of displacementof the locking element situated in the bore 5|.

When the lock is in locked position, as shown in Fig. 7, the pin 54 cannot be pushed back and the locking element is locked fast.

The lock shown in Figs. '7 and 8 is provided with two through-goingbores for locking elements, and the cylinder 52 is therefore in additionto the recess 5'! provided with another recess 58 which acts in the sameway. 59 and 60 are holes for the free end of the locking hoop.

As will be realized the lock may be constructed appreciably simpler thanshown in Figs. 1-6. Firstly the guides 2 and 3 may be dispensed with.Secondly, instead of a turnable and displaceable hoop Iii one may use ahoop, hook, screw or the like which is fixedly or eventually turnablyconnected with the lock casing.

A few simpler embodiments of a lock according to the invention are shownin the following figures.

In Figs. 9, l0 and 11 there is shown embodiment of a lock according tothe invention with only two through-going guides. In this embodiment alock mechanism of the ordinary type for padlocks is used instead of acylinder look. In these figures SI! designates a lock casing providedwith two parallel through-going bores 3! and 32. 33 is an extendedlocking element in the form of a ball chain. This chain is at its oneend provided with a head 36 in the shape of a ring, ball or the like,with lar er diameter than the bore 32. At its other end the chain isprovided with a needle shaped pin 35 which serves to facilitate thepassing of the chain through the bores. Between each ball slots orgrooves 35 are formed similar to the slots 8 and I2 in the lockingelements 6 and 9.

3i designates a lever which is turnably mounted on a pin 38 provided inthe lock casing. A spring 39 tends to turn the lever 31 to the positionindicated by dotted lines in Fig. 9. The other end 40 of the spring ispassed through a hole M in a bar or plate M, which is displaceablymounted in the lock casing. In the position shown in Fig. 9 the lever3'! as well as the bar 42 are in engagement with the link chain. The bar42 is hereby mounted in such a way that it can neither be moved upwardsnor downwards, so that the locking element mounted in the bore 32 iscompletely prevented from axial displacement. The lever 31 may, however,be turned upwards against the influence of the spring 39.

A latch member 43 which constitutes a part of an ordinary lock mechanismprevents, in the position shown in Fig. 9, return displacement of thebar 32. At the same time the upper end of the member 43 prevents thatthe lever 31 may be turned downwards so as to be disengaged from thelocking element situated in the bore 3!. On the other hand, the lever 37may be swung upwards against the influence of the spring 39.

The operation of the loci; according to this embodiment is as follows:

Return movement of the latch member 3 to the position shown in dottedlines is caused. by means of a key. lhe lock chain is now -ec and may bepulled. out of the bores 23% 32. This is of importance in case it isdesired to exchange the lock chain with anothe: loci; chain which islonger or shorter, or with a bar shaped locking element, for instance,similar to those shown in 1 or Fig. 4.

It is, however, assumed that the lock chain shown in. Fig. 9 is to beused. In such case the same is only pulled out of the bore 3i and isthereupon placed around the object or objects which are to be locked.Thereupon the point 35 is inserted through the bore, the latch member 43is moved by means of a key to the position shown in full lines in Fig.7, and the lock chain is tightened. This is permitted by swinging thelever 3? upwards against the influence of the spring 39. In any positioncorresponding to the adjusted tightening, the chain is however lockedfast so that it can not be pulled back, because the latch member (isprevents the lever 31 from being pulled downwards below the positionshown in full lines in Fig. 7.

It is believed in View of the foregoing description that a furtherdetailed. description of the operation of the invention is unnecessary.

Likewise it is believed that the advantages of the invention will bereadily apparent.

Having thus fully described the invention what is claimed and desired tobe secured by Letters Patent is:

1. Lock comprising a casing with two bores extending therethrough, afirst lock element extending into one if said bores and beinglongitudinally slidable and rotatable therein, a, second look elementextending into the other of said bores and being longitudinally slidabletherein, said first lock element having a number of narrowly spacedgrooves each extending around the entire circumference thereof, and alocking mechanism within the casing including two latches and a keycontrolled latch operating member common to both latches, one of saidlatches being engageable in the spaced. grooves and operable to lock thefirst loci: element movement in one direction be 1g yield ciy mounted toacccinmoda movement of rst lock element in the oppcs direction, e otherlatch being loci; element against either direction.

1g with two bores exiocl; element exbeing rotatable a second lookelement into ti.. her of said bores and being rotatable and axiallydisplaceable therein, both of said lock ele' .its being adapted to belocked in adjusted a position, a single locking mechanism inc id twolatches oper able by a single he to k a d unlock said lock elements, oneof late being a one way acting snap-Batch, the other being a two wayacting retaining latch.

3. Lock as claimed in claim 2 wherein said looking mechanism includes aider and a spring, the snap-latch being adapted to be turned a certainangle about the axis of the cylinder against the action of said sping,so as to accommodate movement of the related lock element in onedirection but not in the opposite direction.

l. Lock as claimed in claim 2 wherein said look-- ing mechanism includesa longitudinally shiftable member adapted to lock said latchessimultaneously in operative position.

TRYGGVE BOB STUE.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS longitudinal mov 2. Loci: comprisin, a tendingthere e Number Name Date 507,948 Waine Oct. 31, 1893 1,072,559 BaconSept. 9, 1913 1,079,655 Lissner Nov. 25, 1913 1,120,117 Anderson et a1Dec. 8, 1914 1,395,970 Nidermaier Nov. 1, 1921 FOREIGN PATENTS NumberCountry Date 23,267 Great Britain Oct. 28, 1904

